Needy Short On Shelter County Lacks Facilities For Homeless, Destitute

December 17, 1985|By Ines Davis of The Sentinel Staff

KISSIMMEE — The outlook for the homeless and needy in Osceola County is only slightly better than last year, but as the numbers of destitute families grow, the resources shrink.

This year, the First United Methodist Church will open its doors to provide temporary shelter to the homeless when the temperatures drop to 36 degrees or below.

Human service agency workers have done the best they can with available resources, but they all say the number of homeless and needy families have doubled or tripled, but the money with which to help them has not increased.

''We've got no more help than we did three years ago but there's three times as many people,'' said Bessie Jarvis, program coordinator with Community Action.

Community Action doles out boxes of food, blankets, and vouchers for emergency shelter or transportation. The food boxes are collected through a church-sponsored program, Project 5000, and the money comes from the Kissimmee Ministerial Association. Jarvis said she doesn't know exactly how much money is left in the association's fund. ''They just tell me to ease up or that they have plenty of money left.''

She said there isn't too much money left for the rest of the year.

Jarvis said the worst problem is the lack of shelter. ''I can give them food but it doesn't do a whole lot of good if they don't have a place to cook it.''

And the homeless this year ''aren't your run-of-the-mill bum,'' she said. ''Most of them would work if they had a place to work.''

Nancy Fay with the Labor Force of Central Florida in Kissimmee, said there are more workers than there is work available, and the trend probably will continue through January.

''We have to turn away 10 to 15 people a day,'' she said.

Jarvis also deals with migrant workers, but she said she's been able to receive some help for the local migrants through a federal program out of Winter Garden.

Help Now's director Nancy Cassin said she's seeing an increase in the numbers of needy families as well. Help Now is able to offer limited assistance with travel or shelter money, and it is a one-time deal. Pat Nash with the Salvation Army said she's seeing more homeless women and children.

''What screws us up are the ads showing Florida as the land of milk and honey,'' Nash said.

Nash is able to assist hungry families with emergency food supplies, but most often, the best she can do is give them a voucher for gas ''so they can go to Orlando for shelter.''

Most of the agencies give vouchers rather than direct cash assistance.

The shelter at the First United Methodist Church will be open when the temperatures drop; no bedding will be provided and a guard will be on duty. Those staying for the night will be expected to behave; no smoking, drinking, cursing or rowdiness will be allowed, church officials said.

Soup and coffee will be offered after the doors open at 7 p.m. and a breakfast of oatmeal and coffee will be served to those in the shelter.